Showy Lady Slipper

On Monday I walked the Lake Wobegon Trail between Avon and Albany to see the Showy Lady Slipper. This has been on my bucket list since I learned it was the state flower in grade school.  They are beautiful.  My husband wondered why such an elusive flower was the state flower. It's a good question, and I have no idea why.  

P.S. You may notice a gap in posts--I was traveling in the UK.  I hope to post some garden photos soon. They have a longer growing season and my husband is an Anglophile...it's tempting. 

A Fairy Garden

I swore I'd never fall for gardening trends, but I fell for fairy gardens.  There are so many cute and clever ones out there that I get sucked into the internet vortex and lose time.  This is my version with a sedum and veronica. The moss and violet are from the yard. I bought the characters at a local garden center.  The "house" is a mug I made years ago with my daughter at a paint-your-own establishment in our small town.  It was too heavy once I filled it with water, so it got pushed to the back of the cupboard until I re-purposed it here. I can't claim to be a great crafter or artist, but I like this small touch in my garden.